Ami's eyes flickered to Usagi, the new information tugging at her heartstrings. She couldn't imagine how Usagi must feel, knowing that the Silver Crystal was in jeopardy and with it, much more. Ami struggled to think of something to say, but was saved by Jupiter, who went to console their blonde princess. Ami nodded to no one in particular and began inserting the new information into the system. Right as she saved the additions, a bright red exclamation point popped up in the top right of the screen. Ami's eyebrows creased together as she clicked on the notifcation, wondering what was going on in the city that had caught the computer's attention.

Her mouth dropped open at the pages of information and video coverage that flooded the screen. Her brain immediately began working overtime, quickly scanning the information and processing what she saw and heard. Eyes wide and full of alarm, Ami quickly stood and pulled her transformation pen out of her pocket.

"Something big is happening at the ice rink. It's frozen over and there are still civilians inside. I...think it might be Freeze and Thunder at work - especially Freeze. We need to get there and save those people!"

Rei watched as Ami launched into an explanation about her analysis. She wasn’t surprised by the similarity between their energies—she had felt it herself. But she was surprised when Ami claimed they were not… technically… human. They didn’t even have brains? What were they? A part of her immediately felt relieved; if they weren’t humans, if they weren’t even alive… then that meant the senshi could kill them without it weighing on their conscience.

It seemed like the Phantoms were made from elements from their planets. Well, that was… interesting. She agreed that locating their weaknesses was definitely a priority.

But then Ami said they were capable of emotions. Oh… well, then. That threw a wrench in the whole not-human-so-it’s-fine-to-kill-them bit. Rei had seen quite a few movies about artificial intelligence… robots with feelings and all that. She’d thought that was impossible, but now…? If the star seed was responsible of doing this, whose star seed had they stolen? If that was the case, maybe the senshi could still destroy the body without feeling guilty about it? This was so going to be a moral dilemma.

Then there she was. Theia. Rei narrowed her eyes at her. So, if they got rid of Theia, the others would probably be useless without a purpose. Might even self-destruct or something? She definitely did not like this connection between Theia and the Silver Crystal. Immediately, the mysterious woman shot up to the top of Rei’s hit list. She was definitely a villain, so no one would have a problem with getting rid of her, right? Especially if she was after the Silver Crystal. No way was Rei ever going to let Usagi’s life be in jeopardy.

Minako’s question made Rei feel even more restless. She didn’t like the idea that an enemy could have a connection to Usagi’s Sailor Crystal. Something about it was really wrong. And seeing Usagi so scared, admitting the worst, made Rei want to go over there and hug her and tell her there had only ever been, and ever would be, one Usagi in this world. And she was the only true owner of the Silver Crystal. Rei didn’t care about the facts or anything else.

Mako gave the hug on Rei’s behalf, and Rei’s attention turned to Ami, who now seemed agitated by something happening on the computers. She jumped up immediately upon hearing her friend’s words. “Great, I’ve been itching for some action anyway. Let’s transform and go over there right now.”

She really would have preferred to get the chance to pummel her own counterpart or Theia, but if these two were causing trouble, at least that gave her justification to fry them to bits if necessary. The thought that she’d get to channel her frustration by using her flames in full power in order to defrost that ice rink made her happy.

Usagi appreciated Mako-chan's hug - her hugs were the best - but Mako's words did little to comfort her. If Theia claimed the Silver Crystal, and could make the crystal react to her, how could it really be Usagi's? They had fought so many battles, had faced so many threats and put countless people in danger over the Crystal's existence, and they had fought hard to keep it out of evil's reach. She had done her best to understand and control her birthright, to use it to further good in the world, and thwart evil across the galaxy, and all the while, so long as she were true to herself and shone brightly from within, the Silver Crystal had been hers to command. They were connected - it was her Sailor Crystal, her power base, her life force, and Sailor Theia had controlled it.

If Theia could control the crystal, did that mean she could control her, as well, through it? Just as Galaxia had used her friend's crystals?

How could she count on herself now? On her ability to fight with her friends and make the right choices, if at any moment the crystal could change its allegiance to Theia, and possibly take her with it? How could she be trusted with them?

She reached up, putting her hand over Mako's, and squeezed back, wanting to appear far more confident than she felt.

Ami spun in her chair and stood, her transformation pen in her hand, and Usagi's heart hammered and then constricted in her chest. Her eyes widened with panic - so soon? She'd have to transform so soon? Rei jumped up, ready to go. She knew they needed to go - they were the only ones that had any hope against the Phantoms, and people were in danger - but what if something happened? What if the Crystal sided with Theia? What if she couldn't transform, or that she did transform and then Theia took control?

What if Theia was the Silver Crystal's rightful owner?

Mechanically she stood and nodded. They had to go - they were those people's only hope.

Ami nodded at Rei, glad that she wasn't the only one eager to battle these phantom senshi. Sure, she wasn't the most physical of fighters, but Ami was more interested in gathering more information. These new senshi were so mysterious and intriguing, but most of all, Ami needed to know more about the relationship these girls shared with the Silver Crystal.

"I think it would be faster if we all teleported to the ice rink. At this rate, there's no time to lose." Ami glanced nervously to Mamoru, wondering if he was going to stay or go.

Mamoru pieced things together as quickly as he could, paying close attention to the facts and figures popping up on screen and Ami's narrative of her findings. Most of the information was new to him; he had picked up as much as he could last night, but after they separated and when he met Usako this morning, she hadn't wanted to talk about anything that had happened, and now, with how she was reacting to Ami's fightings about this Theia and her connection to Usako's Silver Crystal, he felt he was starting to understand why. Yet another enemy had appeared, looking for the Silver Crystal, but this one, unlike any before, might actually have a claim to it. Makoto got up before he could even move, and comforted her, and he appreciated it.

How or when could he bring up what Blaze had told him? Or about what the university had found about the "ghost planets" in the sky at all hours? Surely there was a connection - he didn't know exactly how much help it would be, but it was better to have all of their information in one place and easily accessible. He was about to speak when the computer brought up news reports and bulletins - his eyes scanned them as Ami's did; when she turned and announced, he caught up with what he could on screen. An ice rink? People trapped inside...

He nodded his agreement to Ami's assessment - it would be much faster for them to teleport in, and they wouldn't have to worry about the outside conditions of the rink, but he understood her nervousness: he had never teleported with them before. They didn't even know if he could teleport with them; while he had a Sailor Crystal, such as it was, he had never combined his power with theirs in such a way, and now might not be the best time to try that out for the first time. "I'll keep watch from outside the facility," he stated, "and attempt to intercept if any other Phantoms arrive."

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Super Awesome Space Museum//Kyra's RP's♥♥

Hikari-chan

Lotus Crystal

Title : Honestly, I’ve never fit in with the world. I was always alone.Posts : 8591Join date : 2013-05-26Age : 26

Subject: Re: [Relaxed] Ghost Planets 7th August 2015, 9:01 pm

Makoto's eyes widened when she saw the news. This was clearly the work of Thunder and Freeze. The two had not wasted any time in planning their next attack. She wanted to get down to the rink as soon as possible and defeat them. Of course she would fight to save those in danger.

Makoto hated it when civilians were caught in the crossfire. At Ami's suggestion to teleport, Makoto nodded. She hoped Minako and Rei would do the same.

Ami suggested teleporting to the ice rink, and Rei agreed. It seemed Mamoru was going to provide them backup, as well. “Okay, then let’s use Sailor Teleport,” she said decisively.

She called out her transformation phrase, “Mars Crystal Power, Make Up!” and felt the familiar explosion of raw power—hot and full of life in her veins—embraced her like a familiar friend. In seconds she stood in the middle of the room as Sailor Mars, ready to fight once more.

She waited for the others to transform so they could teleport, her eyes finding Usagi’s. She knew that uncertain look, knew what was going through Usagi’s mind, knew her fears. Usagi could not lose confidence in her own Sailor Crystal, or it would make things worse. She tried to convey her belief and her confidence in her friend with her eyes, and letting Usagi know that they were always 100% behind her. If she thought Theia deserved that crystal, she was crazy.

She nodded at the others, and grabbed her transformation pen from her pocket. "Venus Crystal Power, Make Up!" Taking her place in the circle, she grabbed Mars hand. Looking at Usagi, she attempted to convey with her eyes that everything would be okay in the end, that she just had to believe.

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Waifu to EK Shitennou FanJTC's RP Wife Married to Brit-chan apparently CURRENTLY ON LOA

She felt the raw energy wash over her as both Rei and Minako transformed, and fear uncoiled in her chest. Fighting her hesitation, she reached into her bag and withdrew her compact. She gripped it tightly, sensing the immense power of the silver crystal within, and briefly feared that it wouldn't listen to her anymore. Her eyes met Mars's and stayed there, latching on to the strength, support and belief she found in them. She took a deeper breath, steeling herself, telling herself that she would be okay; she caught Venus's eyes, too, and saw the determination mirrored there.

She could do this.

The Silver Crystal was still hers.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" she cried, thrusting her compact into the air, and was immediately bathed in the warm, familiar power she knew was her own. Comforted, she stood before them as Eternal Sailor Moon, and herself. She nodded - she was ready to go.

The senshi all held hands, with Tuxedo Mask in the center of their circle, and as they combined their planetary powers, a multicolored light enveloped them. In an instant, they were gone, leaving a circular indent in the floor behind

They reappeared inside the building, in the front lobby. The desks where skates and other gear were handed out were empty of life, and it felt like they were standing in a giant walk in fridge. behind them, the front doors were all frozen shut, and the floor was slippery. In a connected hallway, a shadowed figure disappeared around the corner, only a flash of green and pink clothing visible.

Seeing deserted places was always creepy, but the ice coating the doors and windows made the room even creepier, making her feel closed in, trapped... and the freezing temperature and light through the iced-over door recalled D-Point too easily. Usagi crossed her arms, her gloved hands lightly gripping her naked upper arms for warmth and comfort as she looked around. Her eyes strayed to Mamoru, who was looking around with the rest of them, his body tense as he looked towards one of the connecting hallways, and her stomach tightened even as her heart felt fuller. He didn't know yet that Theia was after his crystal, too; she didn't know what she wanted to happen. She wanted him near her so she could protect him, but she also wanted him far away so the Phantom Senshi wouldn't find out he had the Golden Crystal to begin with.

Before they had left, he had forgotten that he could be taken with them in their teleportation ring; given that option, he decided to go into the rink with them; while watching over the arena from the outside might've been marginally helpful for reconnaissance, he would have been no help to them out there. As the energy faded and the freezing temperature took hold, he caught movement in one of the leading hallways, having been standing facing just the right way. He stared after the hint of movement for a moment, checking to make sure it hadn't been a trick of the light; when a similar flash of motion did not repeat, he quietly drew their attention. "There," he said, motioning towards the hall, "I saw something move."

These were all way too reminiscent of a certain situation for Mars’ liking. She bet they left yet another round crack back on the command center, too… that time in Hikawa Shrine was not very fun to fix. They really ought to figure out how to control the teleportation energy so that it didn’t destroy their surroundings.

Mars was not a fan of the cold, and she instinctively increased her own body temperature to combat it. “Sailor Moon, be careful of the slippery floor,” she warned, not wanting Usagi to faceplant unceremoniously in front of the enemy.

When Tuxedo Mask pointed out a movement, she nodded and started moving in that direction, keeping just in front of Moon in case someone wanted to get the drop on them.

The rush that she got when they used their abilities to teleport never ceased to amaze her. It truly made her feel that they were so much more powerful together than alone.

When Tuxudeo Mask informed them that he had seen something, Venus took up position on Sailor Moons right side to ward off any potential attacks when she saw Mars move in front of her.

"Be ready for anything." They were probably walking into a trap, but what choice did they have really.

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Waifu to EK Shitennou FanJTC's RP Wife Married to Brit-chan apparently CURRENTLY ON LOA

Hikari-chan

Lotus Crystal

Title : Honestly, I’ve never fit in with the world. I was always alone.Posts : 8591Join date : 2013-05-26Age : 26

Subject: Re: [Relaxed] Ghost Planets 25th September 2015, 6:05 pm

Makoto called out “Jupiter Crystal Power” before joining the circle. She landed roughly in the ice rink. Surely there was a more graceful way to land. Jupiter took in her surroundings as well as the cold temperature. Something felt a bit familiar to her. The feeling rubbed her the wrong way, but she pushed it aside so she could focus on the situation at hand.

The phantom senshi were back and she needed to protect her princess. She heard Tuxedo Mask call out noting the direction one of the senshi had gone. Jupiter made a run for it, but also did her best to keep an eye on Sailor Moon. She was vulnerable right now and it was important she was safe and that she remained in control of her silver crystal.

As she ran she thought, this time we won’t be so willing to help you if you are injured.

After transforming and helping her friends with the Sailor Teleport, Mercury found herself standing in the main lobby of the ice rink. The cold temperature didn't bother her, so Mercury quickly pulled up her visor and tuned out the voices of her friends so that she could focus.

A blueprint of the building came up on her screen, with different colors revealing the different temperatures of each area. She began to talk as she examined the blueprint, relaying the information to her friends:

"According to my readings, the temperature in here gets colder and colder the closer you get to the ice rink itself. My best guess is that the ice rink is where the source of this phenomena is dwelling. If we go there, we may be able to stop it. So I think we should -" Mercury paused, her eyes narrowing as a faint red dot began to move on her screen. More faint red dots began to appear in different areas, complicating matters drastically. "There's someone running away from this direction, heading that way," Mercury said, pointing towards the corridor that the person was running down. "And there are others trapped in certain rooms. If they stay here for much longer, the temperature could do some serious damage to their health."

Mercury closed her visor and looked around at her friends, eyes filled with worry and inner conflict. "We need to decide what to do."

When the senshi turned the corner to pursue the shadow, they found...an empty hallway. Though the fading sound of boots on tiled floor could still be heard int he direction Mercury had pointed out. She was also correct about the temperature, as the further into the building they ventured, the worse the ice became. Large, thick icicles emerged from the ceiling and floor, and the doors going down the hallway were sealed in a thick layer of it.

If they followed the hall down, it would lead to the skating area, where the source of the problem currently was. But there was also the muffled pounding of half frozen people trying to escape behind the doors. Would the senshi take the long way around to the center and rescue the hostages, or go directly to the ice rink to confront their foe as fast as possible? Or maybe the group could be split up?

There was no one around the corner, but their footsteps were just ahead, so Mars was about to continue pursuing when she heard Mercury’s words. The cold was really bothering her, so her instinct was to take care of that problem first.

“If we fix this temperature problem, that would automatically save the people trapped as well,” she said. There was the question of how much time they’d need to fix that problem exactly, but Mars hoped it just involved her creating a really big fire and be done with it.

“I don’t think the running person is our immediate priority, but what do you want to do, Venus?” she asked, turning to the blonde. Whichever way they were headed, Mars knew her flames would be useful.

Usagi looked down each hallway, her breath fogging the air ahead of her, the temperature deadening her nerves and making her want to shiver. She listened closely to Mercury and to Mars, but her attention was immediately on the soft noises of cold people trying to escape. Her heart hurt for them - they needed to be saved, to be taken away in case things got out of control. Freeze was in there, but what if the others appeared, too? The building could collapse in their fight, and if the people were still inside... if they hadn't been frozen, they might end up crushed. Or electrocuted, or burned. They would forfeit their lives against their consent, and that weight would be on their shoulders - hers, her friends, and the Phantom Senshi, who, she knew, deep in her heart, would regret it.

Mars was right, though; if they could take care of Freeze, if they could talk her into calling this off, the building would supposedly melt and the hostages could escape on their own, but could they take that chance? People were freezing, their pounding and calls for help so feeble already. Should they split up?

Maybe Mamoru could see to the hostages? Her blue eyes focused on him as she considered. It would keep him out of harms way - the phantom senshi wouldn't be able to find out he has the Golden Crystal if he doesn't run into them again. But how could he break through all that ice? Maybe Mars could go with him, her eyes shifted to Mars, but then immediately moved to Venus and Mercury, if Sailor Freeze is elemental, we'd need Rei's fire to... to nullify her, to talk her into listening to them. She couldn't talk herself into thinking of utterly defeating her.

Maybe Minako had an idea that would solve all of this, though. Usagi waited for her.

Venus pursed her lips as she ran through possible options. The chances that this was a trap was high which meant that the running shadow would be easy enough to track down. It was obviously attempting to lead them somewhere. The civilians wouldn't last much longer, especially if the temperature dropped even more.

"We get the people out first then we can head to the rink," she said firmly. "Mercury, which rooms specifically are the people trapped in?" They could break up into smaller teams to work to get the civilians free, staying within shouting distance from each other in case something went wrong.

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Waifu to EK Shitennou FanJTC's RP Wife Married to Brit-chan apparently CURRENTLY ON LOA

Mars inspected the screen of Mercury’s computer, which showed where everyone was located. It seemed that their mysterious shadow was leading them into the rink, where the source of the cold temperature was from.

“Okay, who should go where? I can probably melt the ice on these doors where people are trapped behind easily enough, but I can also engage Freeze and unfreeze this whole thing at the source.” Right now her power was the most effective, and she was only sorry there could not be more of her around.

Mercury listened to everyone's thoughts, gauging what would be the wisest choice in such a volatile situation. But her instinct was screaming at her, and she had to voice her thoughts: "We need to get the people safe first. We're senshi, and we protect the citizens first and foremost. As long as they're at the front of the building where the temperature isn't as cold, they should be safe long enough for us to take care of Freeze."

The senshi of intellect looked at her screen, then to the other senshi. "Mars, Jupiter, and I should go down the left hall," she said, pointing her finger at the two rooms with civilians inside. "That way, we can quickly open the two rooms with Mars's fire. Tuxedo Mask, Venus, and Sailor Moon should take the right hall. With the combination of Tuxedo Mask's strength and your Sailor Kicks, you should be able to bust open that door in the same amount of time that we get through the two doors on the left. We can meet up outside of the ice rink doors when the civilians are freed."

“Sounds good to me,” Mars replied, eyeing the others. She knew Venus would protect Moon well, along with Tuxedo Mask, but either way she didn’t plan to be separated for too long from the others. “They can also use their actual powers to break down the door… I’m sure the civilians will forgive the minor destruction once we save everyone.”

Jupiter nodded at Mercury's plan, already impatient to start it. It was partially to save whoever had the misfortune to get stuck in here, and partially to move around and avoid freezing in place. It felt like it was getting colder even as they talked...

"Alright, let's get going!" As Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury broke into the two rooms on the left side, Venus, Tuxedo Mask, and Sailor Moon worked together to free the people in the single room on the right. As soon as the last shivering, terrified skaters had been helped out of the freshly defrosted front doors, the senshi gathered at the entrance to the actual Ice Rink.

This door was covered in a very thick layer of frost, and the internal temperature had dropped even lower. According to Mercury's computer, it was now 10 F/ -7 C, and still falling steadily. There was definitely a presence inside, confirmed by the energy readings.

She could see her breath clouding the air, and knew that her friends must be feeling this drop in temperature much more than she was. At least the skaters, released from the various rooms, were able to move to the front of the building and (hopefully) find a bit more warmth until they could take care of this. Sailor Mercury knew they were going to take care of this. Sailor Freeze was waiting, somewhere in here, and based on the blur that ran from them probably Sailor Thunder as well.

The blue-haired girl wanted to make sure her group was prepared as possible for what they would face. When she placed a gloved hand on the door handle, she was surprised to find that—although chilled—the door would clearly open for the group. Just like a trap.

"Okay, everyone, be on your guard," she warned, pushing it open and scanning inside with her Mini Supercomputer, wondering what additional data could be gathered.

The ice rink looked more like a section of the Arctic tundra than the inside of a building. The air was biting cold, and the floor was blanketed in a thick layer of snow. An un-explainable wind blew it around more, creating snow drifts. The rink itself had morphed into a series of icy spires scattered around, some of them over ten feet high. And on the highest ice mountain was a blurred figure, difficult to see in all the sleet obscuring everyone's vision.

One of the frosted wall mounted television monitors close by crackled to life, and Sailor Freeze appeared on the unsteady broadcast.

"I was not expecting you to take your time getting here..." she said. "You saved all of the people first, yet it would have made far more sense to confront me first than waste your energy thawing them out. Your little group becomes less predictable each time we meet, but now that I've had the chance to better prepare..."

As soon as the last person stepped into the room, the doors froze over completely.

"I'm confident that I can beat you. But..." Sailor Freeze looked thoughtful. "Defeating you all in a raw show of power is not the way I prefer to operate. I'm partial to a more...mentally stimulating challenge." Her ice blue eyes fell on Mercury. "You agree with my thought process, correct? The mind is just as an effective tool as sheer might." There was an off screen grumble, and Freeze glanced away. "Not that there's anything wrong with might." She smiled slightly.

"How about I make you Sailor Senshi an offer instead?"

Sailor Mercury's computer results:

The room is very large, about 600 feet on each side in a perfect square. The ceiling is two stories tall, the ice rink takes up most of the floor space, with only a narrow, snow covered walk space bordering it. In the middle of the ice rink, atop the tallest spire, was an signal that belonged to Sailor Freeze. Next to it was the second energy source, Sailor Thunder.

Mars followed the others as they entered the ice rink after freeing the trapped civilians. Again she tamped down the urge to just use her flames to thaw everything out, because the cold was really getting on her nerves. She squinted at the blurry figure on top of all the ice, but then diverted her attention to the television monitor.

She scowled at Freeze’s words, and also her choice to be all theatrical with a television broadcast. Maybe it made more sense for her to fight first and save people later, but that was why they were fake senshi and not the real deal. At least that made Mars and her team unpredictable? That was always good.

She wasn’t worried about the frozen door, not as long as she still had her flames. But she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes as Freeze issued her so-called brilliant challenge, her little intelligence test. (At least Thunder agreed with Mars, if the off screen grumble was any indication.)

“I’m not sure we’d be interested in anything you have to offer,” she said loudly, impatient to start the fight.

Venus looked at Mars. She agreed with her that there probably wasn't anything that Freeze could offer them that they would be interested in, but the blonde knew that Sailor Moon would want them to at least hear them out. There wasn't any harm in that, right?

"We're listening. Tell us what you're offering and we'll tell you if we agree," Venus said confidently. She kept looking around, making sure that they hadn't walked into a trap.

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Waifu to EK Shitennou FanJTC's RP Wife Married to Brit-chan apparently CURRENTLY ON LOA

Her mouth formed a hard line at Sailor Freeze's attempt at bargaining. She knew, as her teammates and friends surely did, that Sailor Moon would want to hear the what the enemy had to say. Sailor Moon's generous and pure heart would try to find a way to prevent them from fighting. Even as the blonde struggled with the terrible thing they knew their opponent wanted—the brilliant crystals of both herself and her beloved—Mercury knew that their princess would always show compassion and hope. She only prayed that they could protect Sailor Moon from any intended harm, even if she invited it.

Her blue eyes never stopped observing the altered rink as she waited to hear what Freeze had to offer.